December 2008
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Welcome to International Student Life Monthly
Delivered straight to your inbox every month, International Student Life Monthly contains all the updates, announcements and events to keep you in the know!
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SSAA Christmas Party
Not going home for the holidays?
If not, SSAA is hosting a non-denominational party – especially for international students – to celebrate the holiday period!
There'll be food, drinks, gifts, photo opportunities with Santa and even a traditional Aussie game of backyard cricket!
Date: Thursday 11 December
Time: 1.00pm onwards
It's completely free and everyone is welcome. Bookings are essential. Please phone (03) 9214 6570 or email Cate clawrence@swin.edu.au
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Semester 1 Fee Instalment Dates
 If you're a continuing international student, you can pay your Semester 1, 2009 tuition fees in two instalments:
50% by Tuesday 24 February
50% by Wednesday 15 April
If you can demonstrate exceptional circumstances, you can pay your fees as part of a 4-part instalment plan. Applications close on Friday 30 January 2009.
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Don't forget your English!
It’s easy to lose a new skill if you don’t keep up your practice. If you're going home for the holidays – where English is not the first language – you could be at risk of losing some of your skills. Here are a few tips to help you maintain your English while you're away:
- Speak a little bit every day – even if you can't speak to a native speaker, try and practise your English aloud. Whether it's to your dog, a photograph or the back of your bedroom door, every little bit helps!
- Listen to some English – try and listen to some (preferably Australian) English every day. You can access a whole range of online podcasts and audio/video files of Aussie TV, radio and news broadcasts. Check out the ABC and BBC websites to get you started!
- Write it down – Send emails, letters or postcards to friends in Australia or keep a holiday diary in English. You don't have to write huge amounts, but do go back and check your work for grammatical errors.
- Keep reading – English-language newspapers, magazines, books... anything! You could even do some preparatory reading for your course next year. Take your time, look at how the text is structured and use your dictionary to find out the meaning of new words.
Have a great holiday and, remember, Language and Academic Skills (LAS) staff will be here if you need any help when you get back!
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FREE! Academic Language and Learning Course 2009
 If you think you might lose some of your English during the holidays, make sure you enrol in Swinburne's free Academic Language and Learning Course.
You'll be able to revise your existing skills and learn a whole set of new ones just in time for the start of semester!
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When: |
16–20 February 2009 |
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Where: |
Hawthorn campus |
Phone (03) 9214 5583 for more information or download an enrolment form today!
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Are your contact details up-to-date?
Exams are over and the last thing you'll probably be thinking about is uni!
If you're returning to your home country for the end-of-year break, however, don't forget to update your contact details via SWINLINK. It's a good idea to keep your address up-to-date so you're able to receive important information from Swinburne and government agencies.
Don't forget to check your Swinburne email address as well! Whether you're overseas or in Australia, you may receive communication from Swinburne – particularly during results time.
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Got a question? Ask George
 Here are the Top 10 Ask George questions for December.
| 1. |
When will examination results be released? |
| 2. |
I cannot view my results online because they're blocked. What do I do? |
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Why am I ineligible for graduation? What do I do now? |
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I have failed one subject in my final/ penultimate semester. Can I take a special exam instead of re-sitting for the whole subject? |
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What are the different results categories and their corresponding percentages (%)? |
| 6. |
My results have just been released but I do not think they're right.
Who can I talk to? |
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What is Conceded Pass (CP)? |
| 8. |
I failed one of my subjects, what do I do now? |
| 9. |
How do I print out my results using My.Swinburne? |
| 10. |
When does the University close for the Christmas period? |
For the answers to these – and all your other questions – Ask George at My.Swinburne.
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What's on in Melbourne?
Looking for some fun in the city? Check out what’s happening in and around Melbourne throughout December and into the New Year.
Keep up-to-date with the latest events on the International Student Life website.
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